Sony and Amazon to Face Off Over Google Books Deal

Sony and Amazon are poised to take opposite sides on the Google books settlement.

MIGUEL HELFT

The leading rivals in electronic book readers, Sony and Amazon, are poised to face off against each other over Google's closely watched settlement with authors and publishers.

This week, Sony asked the judge who is reviewing the proposed settlement for permission to file a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the agreement. "Sony Electronics believes it has a unique perspective on the various ways in which the settlement will foster competition, spur innovation and create efficiencies that will substantially benefit consumers," Jennifer B. Coplan, a lawyer with Cooley Godward Kronish, wrote in a letter to the court.

Meanwhile, David Nimmer, a prominent copyright lawyer with Irell & Manella, asked the judge this week to be allowed to represent Amazon in the case. The filing does not indicate what arguments Amazon plans to make, but the company recently joined the Open Book Coalition, a group that opposes the settlement. And Jeff Bezos, Amazon's chief executive, has criticized the agreement.

The positions being taken by both companies are not surprising. Amazon sees Google as a potential threat in the e-book business. For its part, Sony has aligned itself with Google in the past.